North Westmorland Arts 
Concerts in Appleby-in-Westmorland                           

NWA concerts

NWA has been running its concert series in the Appleby district since 1969 in various venues including, for many years, the town's castle. It has been able to attract musicians from all over the UK and beyond, many of whom are equally at home in the Bridgwater, Carnegie or Wigmore Halls as they are in Appleby's more modest Market Hall.

There is a small committee of dedicated, voluntary members who work behind the scenes to bring a winter season programme of music to suit all tastes, all linked by the wish to bring musicians of the highest calibre to our lovely corner of the county. A loyal following of subscribing concert-goers helps underpin the ongoing success of the NWA series and it is further boosted by local arts funding bodies, acknowledged elsewhere here.

The concerts represent exceptional value for money, particularly when a season ticket is bought for the  whole series.

COMPETITION

Win a 5-concert season ticket!  All season ticket     applicants who have submitted their applications prior to the first concert on 16th October 2011 will be automatically entered into a draw to win their ticket back and their original subscription fee will either be returned or a second free ticket issued.  The winning name will be drawn from a hat at the first concert.

Download your season ticket application form here, or contact the secretary:

Telephone 017684 83777

e-mail:  enquiries@appleby-concerts.org.uk

The venue

All of our concerts take place in Appleby's Market Hall, located on the main street, Boroughgate, in Appleby, which runs up the hill towards its historic castle, for centuries the stronghold of the Clifford family.

The hall itself holds a real surprise for performers and audience alike.  It's appearance is modest; a touch of art deco and with a barrelled ceiling and massive cast-iron radiators, clearly a product of the early 20th century.  But its acoustics are quite superb and allow solo guitar, string trio or 40 piece brass band all to be heard with remarkable clarity.  We have had performers who have played in the Bridgwater, Albert and Carnegie Halls and who feel that the acoustic response in Appleby is every bit as good as its illustrious peers.  This is no accident, as its design was a bespoke theatre blueprint used by a past benefactor of the town when gifting the hall to the town of Appleby as a performance venue for his opera-singer wife when they retired here from London life.

 DIRECTIONS:

The entrance to the hall is not easy to spot and so is helpfully identified here with a bold yellow arrow. The white building with the flagpole is the Tourist Information Centre. Go into the entrance portal, down the long covered passageway, past the public conveniences on the left and the hall doors are ahead of you at the very end.

If using good old map-reading techniques, then Grid Ref NY683203 should get you there. If using Sat Nav, then input the co-ordinates 54.57719, -2.49096 and let technology take over, or use the postcode for the bread shop next door, CA16 6XB.  Be warned, your car will not fit down the access passageway, so you will need to park up and make the final approach on foot.  There is ample free parking all the way up Boroughgate (the main street) and disabled badge-holder's parking right outside the Market Hall.